


Keenu-whoever

by jessequicksters



Series: we didn't start the fire [7]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: 1999, Gen, The Matrix References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:08:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26146924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessequicksters/pseuds/jessequicksters
Summary: “You killed Keanu Reeves,” the bald, broad man laughs with no care for the rest of the attendees in the packed theatre room. “We lost you for five minutes in this god-forsaken timeline and you killed Keanu Reeves to star in The Matrix.”(for the prompt: 1999, kendra + mick)
Relationships: Kendra Saunders & Vandal Savage, Mick Rory & Kendra Saunders
Series: we didn't start the fire [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885693
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4
Collections: we didn't start the fire





	Keenu-whoever

It’s 1999 and Kendra Saunders watches herself on the big screen in a crowded cinema, swallowing a gold pill she plucked from Morpheus’ hand.

She hears a hoarse chuckle from behind her seat, greasy popcorn spilling right over her head and into her hair. She turns around to snap at the man to tell him to be quiet—this is her opening night, her career-defining moment, and she wasn’t going to let him ruin it.

“You killed Keanu Reeves,” the bald, broad man laughs with no care for the rest of the attendees in the packed room. “We lost you for five minutes in this god-forsaken timeline and you killed Keanu Reeves to star in The Matrix.”

Heads are turning towards them. Kendra smiles through it, trying not to distract from the film itself. She leans over the seat and whispers, “I have never killed anyone—and I have no idea who _Keenu-whoever_ is.”

“Key-ah-noo,” the man says, low and throaty. “Also, you sure about that birdy? About never killing anyone? Because that man,” he points at the screen, “is your lifelong nemesis, and I’m about to light this place on fire in about five seconds.”

Kendra’s eyes widen. “What, why?”

“Because Morpheus is about to kill you.”

That can’t be right. Neo doesn’t die in The Matrix. Not unless they did reshoots without telling her.

“I don’t understand—” Kendra starts, but suddenly her co-star Vandal Savage is pushing through the aisles and walking towards her with a menacing look on his face.

“Movie night’s over,” the man says, and pulls out a gigantic gun from the bottom of his seat. Everyone around them starts screaming, running away as quickly as possible.

“Kendra, my love!” Vandal says, “Step away from this man! Unless, you remember?”

Vandal was her co-star and her sometimes-lover, who was a little overly-possessive at times, but this was all becoming very strange, even for him.

“Remember what?” Kendra says. “What are you guys talking about? Vandal, what are you doing?”

“You have wings, birdy! You’re an eldritch god, or something,” the man says. “Now use them to get out of here. Or we’ll have to look for you in another timeline, and I don't wanna go back to the eighties.”

Nothing makes sense. The Matrix—it’s all she knows. All she remembers. She can’t remember any part of her life before it. Who is she? She looks back to the screen to find that it’s rolling empty film, all black.

Was it ever real? She thinks about Morpheus’ line in the film: _This is your last chance. After this, there is no turning back. You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the gold pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes._

Something tells Kendra that there’s more to the world, more to her than she’s letting herself believe.

“I want to take the gold pill,” she blurts out, looking straight at the man with the gun.

He smiles, with a wicked flame rising in his eyes. “Thought you’d never ask, birdy.”

He points the gun at her and it shoots bright, golden fire, so quick, she doesn’t realize that her shoulders are being yanked off the ground by something as a gust of wind rises from beneath her.

She hits what feels like the ceiling of the theatre, head tucked underneath her elbows as she bursts through roof tiles and out into the cold night air.

Kendra finally opens her eyes, and the world looks small.

She sees the tiny golden flame, far down below, smiling with pride at her, before turning back to fight off Vandal, who’s coming at him with knives and a rage she thought she’s only seen in nightmares.

She looks at her wings—impossibly real, shining like metal underneath the glare of the moon. No turning back now. This is Wonderland, and the rabbit-hole is an open-eyed dive straight into the future.

**Author's Note:**

> part of yet another quarantine fic challenge with [illea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/illea)


End file.
